People identify being Catholic with receiving the sacraments, and rightly so. When approaching a parish for a sacrament, they are asked whether they are registered. Again, if someone comes through the office door for an affidavit to be a godparent or sponsor, they are told that they need to be currently active. The operative questions then become: “What does it mean to be registered in a parish?” and “What is necessary to be considered active?” Surely, being actively registered must mean more than simply filling out a piece of paper. If receiving a sacrament or being a sponsor was only a matter of adding data to the parish computer, what would be the point? Being registered is to be signed up at a particular parish, this parish and not another one. Being actively registered means being regularly involved in the life of a local Catholic-Christian family. Above all, it entails attending the Eucharistic celebration each Sunday, thus sharing in the worship of God with one’s fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It is one of the precepts of the Church, and necessary to be Catholic in more than just a nominal or superficial way. Being actively registered means participating in the life of the parish, namely by offering one’s help, skills and/or talents. It might be considered an extension and complement to tithing. We are very much a collective entity, the sum total of all the goodness that parishioners freely offer to make their second spiritual home one that is beautiful, welcoming and effective. Being involved is doing what one can to maintain and better one’s church. A precept of the Church, not the most important, yet necessary nonetheless, is regular tithing or financial support. It is an obligation which grows as an individual becomes more and more dedicated to the overall mission of a parish family and that of the universal Church. At the beginning, we are just happy to have you among us! The amount expected would never cause hardship, but neither should it be merely a token gesture. A bustling parish has many costs in its efforts to provide great service to the local community, and its members ensure that it has the means to do so. We would like that people give what they can joyfully, happy they can help out. On our side, we trust that God provides us with all that we need. One might add showing up with an upbeat attitude and spirit of Christian charity, as opposed to harboring resentment because one feels reluctantly obliged to do something that has not yet been wholeheartedly embraced. Do I hear an “Amen!”? The reception of a sacrament then, crowns the life of faith actively being lived in a local parish setting. This outlook is opposed to a fast food drive-through approach, where individuals “pull up to the parish window, order what they want, and then speed away” until the next sacrament is needed. Unfortunately, there are some who have taken on this second mentality. For this reason, we ask newcomers to complete four months of pre- registration, to show interest in becoming an active member of our local parish community, and to familiarize themselves with it. It is also our period of re-activation for already-registered parishioners who have been away for a considerable amount of time, yet now seek something from us, or better, wish to renew their presence here. This entails 1) verifying your weekly Mass attendance at our parish each Sunday with the attendance person outside the church, 2) turning in one of the white tithing envelopes each week with the amount you decide, however little, 3) taking a tour of the parish with the pastor or one of the parishioners sometime within those four months and 4) participating in one of our functions, even simply joining us for tacos after Mass. Of course, four months does not guarantee genuine interest, but it’s a start! If you would like to become part of our parish family, say hello to the pastor, visit the office and we will direct you to our online pre- registration and/or re-activation form.
Pre-registration & Re-activation
Registration/Activation
People identify being Catholic with receiving the sacraments, and rightly so. When approaching a parish for a sacrament, they are asked whether they are registered. Again, if someone comes through the office door for an affidavit to be a godparent or sponsor, they are told that they need to be currently active. The operative questions then become: “What does it mean to be registered in a parish?” and “What is necessary to be considered active?” Surely, being actively registered must mean more than simply filling out a piece of paper. If receiving a sacrament or being a sponsor was only a matter of adding data to the parish computer, what would be the point? Being registered is to be signed up at a particular parish, this parish and not another one. Being actively registered means being regularly involved in the life of a local Catholic- Christian family. Above all, it entails attending the Eucharistic celebration each Sunday, thus sharing in the worship of God with one’s fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It is one of the precepts of the Church, and necessary to be Catholic in more than just a nominal or superficial way. Being actively registered means participating in the life of the parish, namely by offering one’s help, skills and/or talents. It might be considered an extension and complement to tithing. We are very much a collective entity, the sum total of all the goodness that parishioners freely offer to make their second spiritual home one that is beautiful, welcoming and effective. Being involved is doing what one can to maintain and better one’s church. A precept of the Church, not the most important, yet necessary nonetheless, is regular tithing or financial support. It is an obligation which grows as an individual becomes more and more dedicated to the overall mission of a parish family and that of the universal Church. At the beginning, we are just happy to have you among us! The amount expected would never cause hardship, but neither should it be merely a token gesture. A bustling parish has many costs in its efforts to provide great service to the local community, and its members ensure that it has the means to do so. We would like that people give what they can joyfully, happy they can help out. On our side, we trust that God provides us with all that we need. One might add showing up with an upbeat attitude and spirit of Christian charity, as opposed to harboring resentment because one feels reluctantly obliged to do something that has not yet been wholeheartedly embraced. Do I hear an “Amen!”? The reception of a sacrament then, crowns the life of faith actively being lived in a local parish setting. This outlook is opposed to a fast food drive-through approach, where individuals “pull up to the parish window, order what they want, and then speed away” until the next sacrament is needed. Unfortunately, there are some who have taken on this second mentality. For this reason, we ask newcomers to complete four months of pre- registration, to show interest in becoming an active member of our local parish community, and to familiarize themselves with it. It is also our period of re- activation for already- registered parishioners who have been away for a considerable amount of time, yet now seek something from us, or better, simply wish to renew their presence here. This entails 1) verifying your weekly Mass attendance at our parish each Sunday with the attendance person outside the church, 2) turning in one of the white tithing envelopes each week with the amount you decide, however little, 3) taking a tour of the parish with the pastor or one of the parishioners sometime within those four months and 4) participating in one of our functions, even simply joining us for tacos after Mass. Of course, four months does not guarantee genuine interest, but it’s a start! If you would like to become part of our parish family, say hello to the pastor, visit the office and we will direct you to our online pre-registration and/or re- activation form.